Methods and systems configured to detect and guarantee identity for the purpose of data protection and access control

ABSTRACT

A security system is provided that integrates physical and logical security controls for the protection of secured resources. The resources may include physical locations and/or computing resources such as databases containing personal information. In some embodiments, information is stored in separate, codependent databases such that by isolating the components of the databases from each other, a successful attack on one component is not sufficient to enable the access of content of the other components. In some embodiments, biometric information is automatically obtained as users approach an access location, and is ready for expedited verification of identity upon request by the user.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/614300, filed Feb. 4, 2015, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/078697, filed Nov. 12, 2014, and U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/935785, filed Feb. 4, 2014, the entiredisclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein for allpurposes.

BACKGROUND

Security technology has advanced greatly since the days when showing atin security badge to a security guard who could reasonably be expectedto notice intruders was considered adequate, but in one very importantway, things haven't changed all that much. Access security still largelyrelies on the fact that authorized persons will always follow the rules.In fact, the design of most new security systems and programs are basedon the assumption that authorized persons will follow the rules. Becausesecurity guards are no longer posted at every security-sensitivelocation, technological tools are relied on to provide the levels ofsecurity required in today's environment, but in general, theeffectiveness of the typical access control system in use today isdirectly linked to the users' level of willingness to adhere to therules.

If users are willing to never share their security badge, codes, and/orpasswords, never open an access controlled door and let a stranger comein behind them, question all unknown persons they encounter in thesecured area, and immediately report violations to the security team,then the system will function perfectly. In reality, users do bend orbreak the rules for whatever reason and when that happens, it exposesthe weakest link in the system, the very people the system was designedto protect in the first place: the users themselves.

Most commercial building owners/managers deploy some sort electronicsecurity system to control access into their buildings. These systemsrely on various types of technologies to authenticate the access. RFIDdevices, such as electronic key cards, are the most common typetechnology used in the physical access control industry today, but othertypes of devices are also used. In some typical RFID system deployments,this code is also stored in a central database and when the card iselectronically scanned at a security portal (door, turnstile, gate,computing device, etc.), the code in the card is automatically comparedto the code in the database and if they match up, the system“authenticates” the card and allows the access to proceed. In otherembodiments, the encrypted security certificate stored by the badge maybe cryptographically verified after being electronically scanned. Theweakness with this design is that although it can authenticate thebadge, it can't verify if the person using the badge is actually theperson to whom the badge was issued.

To overcome this inherent weakness, electronic security devicemanufacturers have tried to deploy RFID systems with a second layer ofcontrols (commonly known as dual authentication) such as requiring theperson presenting the card to enter a PIN along with presenting the cardfor authentication. However, this type of system still cannotauthenticate if the person presenting the card and inputting the PIN isin fact the person who really did have permission to access the area orjust someone who somehow obtained both the card and the PIN.

In other schemes, the second layer of the dual authentication systemmight include the use of facial recognition systems or other types ofbiometric readers and sensors. In these cases, the existing systems canonly authenticate one person at a time and typically the personrequesting access has to physically interact with the system to initiatethe authentication sequence by either scanning their security badge orby entering a PIN before the authentication sequence begins. Thebiometric authentication and physical interaction with the system aretime-consuming processes, which limits their effective use to locationswhere very few people have access with any regularity, such as researchlabs, datacenters and secure rooms. Because of their low throughputrates (the time it takes to process a given number of people through acontrol point) these systems have proven unworkable in areas where largenumbers of users have to be vetted for general building access, such asin lobbies or stairwells.

In addition to the slow speed of these systems, they share the inherentweakness of not being able to actually verify if the person presentingthe security badge for authentication was the same person who accessedthe security portal. For example, an authorized person may unlock thedoor and then allow an unauthorized person to enter either instead ofthemselves or in their company. This weakness can be mitigated to someextent through the use of a third layer of control deployed inside theportal, by either holding the person in the security portal itself(commonly referred to as a “man-trap”) until the authentication processis complete or by detecting how many “bodies” come through the portal(commonly referred to as tailgate detection). However, existing tailgatedetection technologies don't identify individuals, but instead countheat signatures using infrared technologies to count bodies passingthrough the portal. The most effective existing way to mitigatetailgating would be to hire guards and have them posted them at everyentrance, but this is both the most expensive and the most intrusivesolution. A solution that employs technology to replace the securityguards while retaining the effectiveness of the security guards isdesired.

Even if all three layers of controls (the two layers of dualauthentication plus tailgate detection) are in place, the span ofcontrol of these systems are limited to the edge of the security area(typically, you will only see security controls such as guards,turnstiles, checkpoints and access controlled doors in the lobbies orother public access points) and they cannot detect if someone has gainedunauthorized access in to the area from somewhere other than through asecurity control point. Also, physical control devices such asturnstiles, electronic door locks, and the like are not useful forprotecting many resources for which security is sought today. Further,databases, digital financial transactions, and networks may beaccessible from locations that are not all within the same physicalarea, or from an area in which it may not be feasible to physicallycontrol access (such as a retail store, a bank, and/or the like).

What is needed is a system for protecting secured resources that nolonger relies on users to do the right thing to maintain security, isfully automated with the ability to perform multi-factor authenticationat a rapid pace, detect tailgaters, reduce false alarms, and be userfriendly.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features ofthe claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid indetermining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In some embodiments, an identity validation system for positivelyconfirming an identity and a physical location of an individual forsecuring access to one or more secured resources is provided. The systemcomprises one or more location sensors, one or more cameras, a facialrecognition data store, and at least one security management computingdevice. The one or more location sensors are configured for detectinglocations of mobile devices within a physical location proximate to anaccess location for the one or more secured resources. The one or morecameras are configured for monitoring the physical location proximate tothe access location. The facial recognition data store is configured tostore one or more facial data records. The at least one securitymanagement computing device is configured to receive a notification fromthe one or more location sensors indicating that a mobile device isdetected within the physical location and is approaching the accesslocation; in response to determining that the mobile device is enrolledwith the security system, retrieve a facial data record from the facialrecognition data store associated with a user associated with the mobiledevice; compare the facial data record to images of faces captured bythe one or more cameras; and provide access to the one or more securedresources in response to determining that the facial data record matchesan image of a face captured by the one or more cameras.

In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method of controlling accessto a computing resource by a user via a network access device isprovided. A device identifier of a mobile computing device is used toverify that the mobile computing device is associated with the user andto retrieve a profile identifier from a device data store. The profileidentifier is used to verify that the user is authorized to access thecomputing resource and to retrieve a biometric row identifier from aprofile data store. The biometric row identifier is used to retrievebiometric data from a biometric data store, and access is provided tothe computing resource in response to verifying that the user matchesthe biometric data. The method is performed by one or more computingdevices of an authentication system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of thisinvention will become more readily appreciated as the same become betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description, whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1A-1B are schematic diagrams that illustrate functionality of anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram that illustrates an exemplary embodiment of asystem according to various aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram that illustrates exemplary embodiments of aninteractive mobile device and a passive mobile device according tovarious aspects of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 4A-4B are a flowchart that illustrates an exemplary embodiment ofa method of access control according to various aspects of the presentdisclosure;

FIGS. 5A-5C are a flowchart that illustrates an exemplary method ofcontrolling access by a user to a computing resource according tovarious aspects of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram that illustrates aspects of an exemplarycomputing device appropriate for use as a computing device of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a security system isprovided that integrates physical and logical security controls for theprotection of secured resources. The resources may include physicallocations, and/or computing resources such as databases containingpersonal information. In some embodiments, information is stored inseparate, codependent databases such that by isolating the components ofthe databases from each other, a successful attack on one component isnot sufficient to enable the access of content of the other components.

The abilities provided by embodiments of the present disclosure to bothguarantee identity of an individual and possession/location of aspecific mobile device associated with the individual has many usefulapplications. In some embodiments, access to information technologynetworks may be granted only after the system identifies and validatesthe physical presence of the authorized user. When the user leaves thesecure area, access to IT networks is revoked. In some embodiments, thesystem would enable environmental control systems (heating, cooling,lighting, and/or the like) to operate on a more efficient level bydetecting the presence of authorized individuals. In some embodiments,the system may allow automated facility entry systems to pair storedbiometric recognition with employee authentication profiles, providingfine-grained access to sensitive, confidential, and highly-confidentialareas.

In some embodiments, the system may enable a point of sale system tomatch an owner to a mobile device containing an electronic wallet(whether in-store or via secure remote payment) to help prevent fraud.Likewise, in some embodiments, the identify verification provided by thesystem can help streamline government-mandated identity confirmation formajor purchases such as real estate and/or the like, and/or mayotherwise be able to guarantee that an item is being transferred to aspecific person.

In some embodiments, other types of events wherein presence and identityare both important may be monitored. For example, test proctoring,customer service, voting, and attendance at required events may all bemonitored using embodiments of the present disclosure. Other types ofidentity-dependent sensitive information, such as health records accessand medical identity protection, may also be provided by embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

In some embodiments, a person's Internet of Things (IoT) array of toolsand services may be invoked in a customized way based on proximity byusing the identity and location detection capabilities of the system.For example, detection of a mobile device may cause a user's house toprepare itself for the user's arrival (setting climate controls, openingpet doors) and welcoming the user upon arrival (opening garage door,unlocking doors, disabling security alarms, playing favorite music, andso on).

FIGS. 1A-1B are schematic diagrams that illustrate functionality of anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Broadly, the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B is used to protect access to a physicallocation, such as with an electronic door lock, turnstile, man trap,and/or the like. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatthis embodiment was used for ease of discussion, in that the physicalprotection of a secure area provides an easily described example. Insome embodiments, access to something other than or in addition to asecure physical location is protected by the system, with or without aphysical access control. One example of a secured resource protected bythe system is a physical location, while other non-limiting examplesinclude a secured network, a secured database, and a secured digitalfinancial transaction.

As illustrated in FIG. 1A, an access location 106 is established withinwhich the secured resource may be accessed. The access location 106 mayalso be referred to as the area within an access boundary. In someembodiments, the access location 106 itself may be the secured resource,such as for a room protected by a door 102 with an electronic lock, asillustrated in the figures). In some embodiments, the access location106 may be a location from which a secured resource may physically beaccessed, such as through network access device 114 illustrated withinthe access location 106.

Along with the access location 106, a physical location 104 proximate tothe access location is also established. As with the access location106, the physical location 104 may also be referred to as an area withina boundary proximate to the access location. The access location 106 andthe physical location 104 proximate to the access location 106 may be ofany size. For example, a facility for which access is controlled canrange in size from an entire military installation, to particular floorsof a multi-floor building, to a small telephony access closet, to asingle kiosk or terminal. In some embodiments, the physical location 104proximate to the access location may be established in an area throughwhich a user is likely to pass while on their way to the access location106. For example, the physical location 104 proximate to the accesslocation may be a hallway or lobby leading to an electronically lockeddoor, a public street near a protected building, an interior of a bank,an area outside of a user's home, and/or the like. In some embodiments,the physical location 104 proximate to the access location isestablished in such a way that the system will have adequate time toauthenticate the user by the time the user reaches the access location106, thus making the authentication process seem instantaneous to theuser upon the user's attempt to access a secured resource from theaccess location 106.

In some embodiments, the system includes one or more device locationsensors 116 and one or more cameras 118 configured to monitor thephysical location 104 proximate to the access location. Furtherdescriptions of the device location sensors 116, the cameras 118, andtheir functionality are provided below, but broadly, the device locationsensors 116 are configured to detect the presence of mobile computingdevices within the physical location 104 proximate to the accesslocation. Once a device location sensor 116 detects the presence of agiven mobile computing device, the cameras 118 begin capturing images torecognize a face of a user associated with the given mobile computingdevice. If the cameras 118 can find a face that matches the user, accessthrough the door 102 will be granted and the user will be able to enterthe access location 106.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the system is optimizedsuch that the device location sensors 116 and the cameras 118 are ableto authenticate users, even in crowds. As illustrated, user 110 isauthorized to access the access location 106, and is associated withmobile device 112. Other individuals, such as individuals 108, may bepresent in the physical location 104 proximate to the access location.In addition, other individuals 109 having computing devices 111 may alsobe within the physical location 104 proximate to the access location. Insome embodiments, the device location sensors 116 are able todifferentiate the authorized computing device 112 in the possession ofthe authorized user 110 from the unauthorized computing device 111 inthe possession of individual 109, and access will be provided to theauthorized user 110 and not the unauthorized individual 109.

FIG. 1B illustrates a situation where the authorized user 110 is presentwithin the access location 106. In some embodiments, one or more devicelocation sensors 120 and cameras 122 are configured to monitor theaccess location 106. Accordingly, the device location sensors 120 andthe cameras 122 can determine if the user 110, the mobile device 112, orboth are still within the access location 106, or whether they have leftthe access location 106. If the device location sensors 120 and/or thecameras 122 have determined that one or both have left the accesslocation 106 or have become separated from each other, then any accessenabled by the system (such as through the network access device 114)may be disabled in order to prevent the initial authorization of theuser 110 to be used by someone else who is not authorized.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram that illustrates an exemplary embodiment of asystem according to various aspects of the present disclosure. Asillustrated, the system includes an authentication system 202, one ormore cameras 204, one or more mobile device location sensors 216, one ormore physical access control devices 218, and one or more network accessdevices 220. In some embodiments, the cameras 214 may include a closedcircuit television camera (CCTV) system present in a building orelsewhere. In some embodiments, the cameras 214 may include one or morecameras included with mobile devices, as described further below. Insome embodiments, one or more of the cameras 214 may be capable ofcapturing images in different spectrums, such as in a visual spectrum oran infrared spectrum. In some embodiments, one or more of the cameras214 may be combined with other sensors capable of retrieving depthinformation from the camera's field of view. The cameras 214 may capturevideo images, still images, or both.

In some embodiments, the mobile device location sensors 216 areconfigured to receive signals from mobile devices in the physicallocation 104 proximal to the access location, and to thereby determinetheir location. In some embodiments, the mobile device location sensors216 detect a signal generated by the mobile device, and are able todetermine the location of the mobile device based on the physicalcharacteristics of the received signal (such as by triangulation and/orthe like). The signal may be a Wi-Fi signal, a Bluetooth signal, anActive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) signal, a UHF-RFID signal,a passive RFID signal transmitted in response to receipt of aninterrogation signal, a near-field communication signal, and/or thelike. In some embodiments, the mobile device location sensors 216receive location information that is reported by the mobile deviceitself instead of using the physical characteristics of the signal. Forexample, the mobile device may form a Bluetooth connection to a mobiledevice location sensor 216, and may transmit location informationobtained by a positioning sensor of the mobile device to the mobiledevice location sensor 216.

In some embodiments, one or more network access devices 220 are includedwithin the access area 106. The system may be configured to enable anddisable the one or more network access devices 220 based on the presenceof an authorized user. For example, in the default for a network accessdevice 220 such as a network port may be to be turned off. Upondetecting the presence of a user and confirming the user's identity, thenetwork access device 220 may be turned on. Accordingly, the likelihoodof an unwanted network access being made by an intruder via the networkaccess device 220 is greatly diminished.

In some embodiments, one or more physical access control devices 218 areincluded in order to control admittance to the access location. Somenon-limiting examples of such devices include electronically locks, mantraps, and turnstiles. In some embodiments, the physical access controldevices 218 may not themselves prevent access to the access location,but instead help inform a security guard regarding who is or is notauthorized to enter the access location. For example, a physical accesscontrol device 218 may include a video display that shows at least aportion of the physical location 104 proximal to the access location.The location information may be used to determine which users displayedin the video display are authorized, and such information may beoverlayed on top of the video display to easily illustrate to a securityguard which users are authorized. As a further example, such informationmay be presented by a wearable device such as Google Glass and/or thelike in an augmented reality format, such that the security guard wouldsee the authorization information appear on top of users in the physicallocation 104 proximal to the access location in real time. In someembodiments, the physical access control devices 218 may be omittedentirely, such as when there are no physical barriers between thephysical location 104 proximal to the access location and the accesslocation 106 itself.

In the illustrated embodiment, the authentication system 202 includesone or more computing devices that are collectively configured toprovide an approach monitoring engine 204, a biometric monitoring engine206, an authentication control engine 208, a presence assurance engine210, and an access control engine 212. In general, the term “engine” asused herein refers to logic embodied in hardware or softwareinstructions, which can be written in a programming language, such as C,C++, Objective-C, COBOL, JAVA™, PHP, Perl, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby,VBScript, ASPX, Microsoft .NET™ languages such as C#, and/or the like.An engine may be compiled into executable programs or written ininterpreted programming languages. Software engines may be callable fromother engines or from themselves. Generally, the engines describedherein refer to logical modules that can be merged with other engines orapplications, or can be divided into sub-engines. The engines can bestored in any type of computer-readable medium or computer storagedevice and be stored on and executed by one or more general purposecomputers, thus creating a special purpose computer configured toprovide the engine. In some embodiments, specialized hardware may becreated in order to execute one or more functions of the engine.

In some embodiments, the approach monitoring engine 204 processesinformation from the cameras 214 and the mobile device location sensors216 in order to determine when a user and a mobile device are presentwithin the physical area 104 proximate to the access location. Once amobile device associated with a given user is detected, the approachmonitoring engine 204 prepares the remainder of the authenticationsystem 202 to identify the given user based on images from the cameras214. In some embodiments, the biometric monitoring engine 206 takes theimages from the cameras 214 and compares them to biometric informationfor the given user associated with the mobile device detected by theapproach monitoring engine 204. In some embodiments, the authenticationcontrol engine 208 controls the overall authentication process andhandles encrypted communication with the mobile device and/or with thedata stores. In some embodiments, the presence assurance engine 210continually monitors the location of the mobile device and the identityof the user after access has been granted to determine when the accessshould be revoked. In some embodiments, the access control engine 212enables or disables access to secured resources based on theinstructions of the authentication control engine 208 and the presenceassurance engine 210. Further description of the actions of each ofthese engines is provided below.

The illustrated system also includes a device data store 222, a profiledata store 224, and a biometric data store 226. As understood by one ofordinary skill in the art, a “data store” as described herein may be anysuitable device configured to store data for access by a computingdevice. One example of a data store is a highly reliable, high-speedrelational database management system (DBMS) executing on one or morecomputing devices and accessible over a high-speed network. However, anyother suitable storage technique and/or device capable of quickly andreliably providing the stored data in response to queries may be used,and the computing device may be accessible locally instead of over anetwork, or may be provided as a cloud-based service. A data store mayalso include data stored in an organized manner on a computer-readablestorage medium, as described further below. One of ordinary skill in theart will recognize that separate data stores described herein may becombined into a single data store (unless otherwise explicitly requiredto be separate), and/or a single data store described herein may beseparated into multiple data stores, without departing from the scope ofthe present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the device data store 222 is an encrypted datastore of information related to registered devices. Each database row inthe device data store 222 is identified by a row identifier that isgenerated by the system and is based on an encrypted hash of one or moredevice identifiers. In some embodiments, the profile data store 224 isan encrypted data store of non-biometric user data, such as user names,access control lists, and/or the like. Each database row in the profiledata store 224 is identified by a row identifier that is generated bythe system and is based on an encrypted hash of a profile identifierstored in the device data store 222. In some embodiments, the biometricdata store 226 is an encrypted data store of biometric user data. Eachdatabase row in the biometric data store 226 is identified by a rowidentifier that is generated by the system and is based on an encryptedhash of a biometric identifier stored in the profile data store 224. Insome embodiments, more than one biometric data store 226 may beavailable, and each separate biometric data store 226 may storeinformation about a different biometric characteristic supported by thesystem. Further description of the data and usage of these data storesis provided below.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram that illustrates exemplary embodiments of aninteractive mobile device 301 and a passive mobile device 316 accordingto various aspects of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, theinteractive mobile device 301 may be a computing device that wouldnormally be in the possession of users, such as a smart phone, a smartwatch, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and/or the like. As isknown by one of ordinary skill in the art, such mobile devices include avariety of functionality, including geolocation abilities and imagecapture abilities. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the interactivemobile device 301 includes a position sensor 302 and a positiondetermination engine 304. The position sensor 302, such as a GPS sensorand/or the like, receives signals that allow the geolocation of themobile device 301 to be determined by the position determination engine304. Also, in some embodiments, the interactive mobile device 301includes a digital camera 308 that can capture images at the request ofthe image capture engine 306. The interactive mobile device 301 may alsoinclude a wireless transceiver 313. The wireless transceiver 313 maytransmit signals such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RFID, UHF-RFID, and/or thelike that allow the mobile device location sensors 216 to detect thepresence and location of the interactive mobile device 301. The wirelesstransceiver 313 may also form a data connection to the authenticationsystem 202, through which the position reporting engine 310 may informthe authentication system 202 of the location of the interactive mobiledevice 301 as determined by the position determination engine 304.

The interactive mobile device 301 may be enrolled in the system, and anapp may be installed on the interactive mobile device 301 to providesystem-specific functionality such as the position reporting engine 310,the authentication engine 312, and the interface engine 314. Furtherdescription of this functionality is provided below. In someembodiments, the interactive mobile device 301 may not have all of theillustrated features. For example, in some embodiments, the interactivemobile device 301 may not have a position sensor 302, and theauthentication system 202 will have to determine the position of theinteractive mobile device 301 based on the characteristics of theemitted signals from the wireless transceiver 313. As another example,in some embodiments, the interactive mobile device 301 may not have adigital camera 308, and so the authentication system 202 will have touse images captured by the cameras 214 for identification.

In some embodiments, the mobile device may have only minimalfunctionality. FIG. 3 also illustrates a passive mobile device 316according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The passivemobile device 316 merely includes a wireless transceiver 317. Oneexample of a passive mobile device 316 is an electronic card key with anembedded RFID tag, though other examples also exist.

FIGS. 4A-4B are a flowchart that illustrates an exemplary embodiment ofa method of access control according to various aspects of the presentdisclosure. The illustrated flowchart shows an overall process for asuccessful authentication. The failure cases have not been illustratedin the flowchart for ease of discussion, but one of ordinary skill inthe art will recognize that at many points in the method 400,authentication or verification may fail, at which point the method 400will terminate and the user 110 will not be given access to therequested resource.

From a start block, the method 400 proceeds to block 402, where anapproach monitoring engine 204 of an authentication system 202 receivesa signal from a mobile device location sensor 216 indicating a mobiledevice 112 approaching an access boundary. An example of this wasillustrated in FIG. 1A and described above, wherein the mobile device112 was detected within the physical area 104 proximate to the accesslocation 106. In some embodiments, the mobile device location sensors216 use the physical properties of a signal emitted by the mobile device112 (such as signal strength and/or the like) to triangulate theposition of the mobile device 112. In some embodiments, the mobiledevice location sensors 216 may receive data from the mobile device 112that includes location information determined by the positiondetermination engine 304 of the mobile device 112 itself. In someembodiments, the mobile device location sensors 216 may receive andreport both types of information to the approach monitoring engine 204.

Next, at block 404, the approach monitoring engine 204 determineswhether the mobile device 112 is enrolled with the authentication system202. In some embodiments, the physical area 104 proximate to theauthentication boundary is publicly accessible, such as a lobby, a mall,a public street, and/or the like, and the mobile device 112 is acommonly available device such as an iPhone, Android Phone, WindowsPhone, and/or the like. In such embodiments, then mobile devices 109 ofpassers-by who are not may be detected by the mobile device locationsensor 216. Accordingly, the approach monitoring engine 204 isconfigured to obtain at least one unique identifier of the mobile devicesuch as a MAC address, an IMEI number, a Bluetooth identifier, a SIMMICC-ID, an identifier stored on an RFID tag, and/or the like. In someembodiments, at least two unique identifiers are obtained from themobile device 112 in order to reduce the possibility that one of theidentifiers has been spoofed. In some embodiments, the mobile devicelocation sensors 216 are able to passively obtain the unique identifiersof the mobile device 112 from the signals transmitted by the mobiledevice 112, such as a WiFi probe request, a response to a Bluetoothpairing request, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the mobile devicelocation sensor 216 actively requests the identifiers from the mobiledevice 112, and/or the authentication engine 312 of the mobile device301 actively transmits the identifiers from the mobile device 301 to themobile device location sensor 216.

The method 400 then proceeds to a decision block 406, where a decisionis made based on the determination of whether the detected mobile deviceis enrolled with the authentication system 202. In some embodiments, theapproach monitoring engine 204 may determine this by attempting to usethe device identifier to retrieve device information from the devicedata store 222, and checking to see if the device information indicatesthat the mobile device 112 is enrolled. If the mobile device is notenrolled with the authentication system 202, then the result of thedetermination at decision block 406 is NO, and the method 400 returns toblock 402 to await detection of a subsequent mobile device.

Otherwise, if the mobile device 112 is enrolled with the authenticationsystem 202, then the result of the determination at decision block 406is YES, and the method 400 proceeds to block 408, where the approachmonitoring engine 204 retrieves facial image information for a user 110associated with the mobile device 112 from a biometric data store 226.In some embodiments, the approach monitoring engine 204 uses the deviceidentifier (or information retrieved using the device identifier fromthe device data store 222) to only retrieve facial image informationrelevant to the user 110 associated with the mobile device 112. Thelimiting of the facial image information used helps increase theefficiency of the method 400.

The method 400 then passes through a continuation terminal (“terminalA”) and then to block 410, where the approach monitoring engine 204chooses one or more cameras 214 likely to capture an image of a face ofthe user 110 based on location information obtained from the mobiledevice location sensor 216. In some embodiments, the approach monitoringengine 204 is configured with data that represents the fields of view ofeach of the cameras 214, and may choose a camera having a field of viewthat includes either the current location of the mobile device 112 or apredicted future location of the mobile device 112 (such as a locationbetween the mobile device 112 and the access boundary, or a location inthe direction of travel of the mobile device 112). In some embodiments,particularly in embodiments wherein several fields of view overlap fromdifferent directions, the approach monitoring engine 204 may choose acamera with a field of view likely to contain user's face, such as acamera in the direction of travel of the mobile device 112 (as opposedto a camera likely to only see the user's back by virtue of being awayfrom the direction of travel). In some embodiments, the approachmonitoring engine 204 may choose the camera 308 of the mobile device 301itself. In such embodiments, the interface engine 314 may present aprompt the user 110 to capture the image of themselves and transmit itto the authentication system 202.

At block 412, a biometric monitoring engine 206 of the authenticationsystem 202 captures facial images of one or more people within fields ofview of the chosen one or more cameras 214, and at block 414, thebiometric monitoring engine 206 compares the captured facial images tothe facial image information for the user 110. In some existing systemsfor facial recognition within crowds, a many-to-many comparison isperformed wherein all of the facial image data for every user must besearched against all of the captured facial images. These existingsystems do not scale to large numbers of registered users and largenumbers of facial images, because too many comparisons must be made inorder to return a result in a timely manner. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure are superior because the number of comparisons is limited tothe facial image data captured by cameras that are likely to contain thefacial image of interest, to only the facial image information for theuser 110. This smaller number of comparisons allows results to bereturned in a timely manner, even when used to authenticate users whenin crowds. In some embodiments, the efficiencies may be extended evenfurther by obtaining detailed spatial location information for themobile device 112, so that facial images that correspond only to thatspatial location may be considered (as opposed to all facial imageswithin the field of view of the chosen camera).

The method 400 then proceeds to a continuation terminal (“terminal B”).From terminal B (FIG. 4B), the method 400 proceeds to a decision block416, where a determination is made based on whether the biometricmonitoring engine 206 found a captured facial image that matches thefacial image information for the user 110. The biometric monitoringengine 206 may use any suitable facial recognition algorithm known inthe art, including but not limited to a Principal Component Analysis, aLinear Discriminate Analysis, Elastic Bunch Graph Matching, a HiddenMarkov model, dynamic link matching, or any other suitable algorithm. Ifa captured facial image did not match the facial image information forthe user 110, then the result of the determination at decision block 416is NO, and the method 400 proceeds to a decision block 418. At decisionblock 418, a determination is made based on whether the method 400should continue looking for the user 118. In some embodiments, a certainnumber of iterations may be performed before it is determined that themethod 400 should stop looking for the user. In some embodiments, a timelimit from the time the mobile device 112 is first detected within thephysical area 104 proximate to the access location is considered todetermine whether the method 400 should stop looking for the user. Insome embodiments, it may be determined that the method 400 shouldcontinue looking for the user as long as the mobile device 112 is stilldetected within the physical area 104 proximate to the access location.If the result of the determination at decision block 418 is NO, then themethod 400 will continue looking for a captured facial image of theuser, and returns to terminal A. If the result of the determination atdecision block 418 is YES, then the method 400 stops looking for thecaptured facial image of the user, proceeds to an end block, andterminates.

Otherwise, back at decision block 416, if a captured facial image didmatch the facial image information for the user 110, then the result ofthe determination at decision block 416 is YES. At this point, themethod 400 has determined that user associated with the mobile device112 is actually present, and so it is safe to allow access to the user110. Accordingly, the method 400 proceeds to block 420, where thebiometric monitoring engine 206 instructs an access control engine 212of the authentication system 202 to allow access to the user 110. Insome embodiments, this may result in access immediately being granted tothe user 110. In some embodiments, this may result in the authenticationsystem 202 recording that a later request for access (such as thepresentation of a cardkey or an attempt to log in to a network accessdevice 114) should be allowed to proceed.

From block 420, the method 400 proceeds to optional block 422, where aphysical access control device 218 permits passage of the user 110through the access boundary, per the instruction of the access controlengine 212. The actions described with respect to block 422 areoptional, because not every embodiment includes a physical control atthe access boundary. At block 424, the access control engine 212 enablesone or more network access devices 220 for use by the user 110. In someembodiments, the network access device 220 may include a network accessport, a wireless router, a power outlet, and/or the like, and enablementthereof may include turning the network access device 220 on.

At procedure block 426, the user 110 requests access to a computingresource via one of the one or more network access devices 220. In someembodiments, the computing resource may be a network resource (such as afile server, a database, a web site, and/or the like), a securefinancial transaction, or any other secured computing resource. Theauthentication control engine 208 may authenticate the user for accessusing any suitable technique. An example technique that provides evenfurther assurances that only authorized users who have been dulyidentified may access the secured resource is illustrated describedbelow with respect to FIGS. 5A-5C.

Once the user 110 has been given access, the authentication system 202continues to monitor the user 110 to ensure that the user 110 shouldstill be allowed access. This can help prevent against people other thanthe user 110 being able to tailgate or otherwise use the access that wasproperly provided to the user 110 in the user's absence. Accordingly,the method 400 proceeds to block 428, where a presence assurance engine210 of the authentication system 202 monitors signals from one or moremobile device location sensors 216 indicating a position of the mobiledevice 112. At block 430, the presence assurance engine 210 determinesthat the mobile device 112 and/or the user 110 has left the accessboundary. In some embodiments, the location of the mobile device 112 ismonitored by the device location sensors 120 using a technique similarto that described above for the physical location 104 proximate to theaccess location. In some embodiments, the presence of the identifieduser 110 may be monitored by the cameras 122 using facial images using atechnique similar to that described above, as well. In some embodiments,the presence assurance engine 210 may require that the user 110 and themobile device 112 remain together as well. In other words, a distancebetween a location of the mobile device 112 and the user 110 may bedetermined, and a separation of more than a threshold distance would beconsidered leaving the access boundary.

Once the presence assurance engine 210 has determined that access shouldbe revoked, the method 400 proceeds to block 432, where the presenceassurance engine 210 instructs the access control engine 212 to preventaccess by the user 110. The access control engine 212 subsequently willrevoke the permissions provided to the one or more network accessdevices 220 and, optionally, the physical access control devices 218.The method 400 then proceeds to an end block and terminates.

FIGS. 5A-5C are a flowchart that illustrates an exemplary method ofcontrolling access by a user to a computing resource according tovarious aspects of the present disclosure. The method 500 illustrated inFIGS. 5A-5C is an example of a suitable method for use at procedureblock 426, and in some embodiments, may be used independently for userauthentication. In general, the method 500 uses a cascadingauthentication process to verify three security characteristics: What(what device is being presented as the authentication initiator, and isit a registered and authorized device?), Why (why should the ownerassociated with the device be granted authentication? Does the ownerhave current permission levels that allow the requested access?), andWho (is the user's identity claim valid?). Once all threecharacteristics have been confirmed, the user-device authentication pairis validated. Separate parts of the system used for authentication areboth isolated from each other and rely on each other, so access willremain secure unless all parts of the system are compromised together.

From a start block, the method 500 proceeds to optional block 502, wherean authentication control engine 208 of an authentication system 202verifies that a location of a mobile computing device 112 associatedwith the user 110 is within an authentication boundary. In someembodiments, the authentication boundary is the same as the accessboundary 106 discussed above. In some embodiments, the authenticationboundary may be larger or smaller than the access boundary 106, such asbeing confined to an area around a particular network access device 114such as a workstation, a kiosk, an ATM, and/or the like. The actions ofblock 502 are optional because in some embodiments, the location of thecomputing device 112 is not monitored as part of the authenticationprocess. In some embodiments when the actions of block 502 areperformed, the location of the computing device 112 may continue to bemonitored throughout the authentication process to ensure that the userhas not left the authentication boundary, similar to the locationmonitoring discussed above.

The method 500 then proceeds to block 504, where the authenticationcontrol engine 208 receives and validates API credentials from themobile computing device 112. API credentials are used by theauthentication engine 312 on the mobile device 301 to interact with theauthentication system 202. In some embodiments, the API credentialsinclude a public/private key pair, and the mobile computing device 112is provided with the public key. At block 506, the authenticationcontrol engine 208 receives an encrypted device identifier from themobile computing device 112. The device identifiers are encrypted bothto ensure that they are not exposed in transit, and to ensure theidentity of both the mobile device 112 and the authentication system 202(transmitting the encrypted device identifiers to a different ormalicious system would not cause them to be exposed, because themalicious system would not have the private key needed to decrypt theencrypted identifier.

Next, at block 508, the authentication control engine 208 decrypts theencrypted device identifier using the API credentials to obtain a deviceidentifier. In some embodiments, the encrypted device identifier is anencryption hash composed of two unique device identifiers assigned tothe mobile device 112 (such as a MAC address, an IMEI identifier, and/orthe like as discussed above) and encrypted using the public key of theAPI credentials. Any suitable encryption algorithm that uses the publickey of the API credentials may be used to encrypt the identifiers, andthe private key of the API credentials may be used by the authenticationcontrol engine 208 to decrypt the identifiers.

At block 510, the authentication control engine 208 encrypts the deviceidentifier using database credentials for a device data store 222 tocreate a device database row identifier. In some embodiments, thedatabase credentials for the device data store 222 include apublic/private key pair associated with the device data store 222, andthe authentication control engine 208 uses the public key to create thedevice database row identifier. Next, at block 512, the authenticationcontrol engine 208 retrieves an encrypted device database row from thedevice data store 222 using the device database row identifier. In someembodiments, the device data store 222 may directly use the devicedatabase row identifier to identify and retrieve the encrypted devicedatabase row. In some embodiments, the device data store 222 may decryptthe device database row identifier using a private key of thepublic/private key pair associated with the device data store 222 beforeusing it to retrieve the encrypted device database row.

At block 514, the authentication control engine 208 decrypts theencrypted device database row using the database credentials for thedevice data store to obtain a device database row. In some embodiments,the authentication control engine 208 decrypts the encrypted devicedatabase row using the private key of the database credentials for thedevice data store 222. In some embodiments, the device database rowincludes information that identifies the device, permissions that areassigned to the device (such as valid access locations and/or the like),registration status, and/or the like. The method 500 then proceeds toblock 516, where the authentication control engine 208 uses the devicedatabase row to verify that the mobile computing device 112 isregistered and currently authorized. In some embodiments, the mereexistence of the device database row that matches or includes the deviceidentifier may indicate that the mobile device 112 is registered andcurrently authorized. In some embodiments, the device database row mayindicate a validity period which will be checked by the authenticationcontrol engine 208 before verifying authorization.

The method 500 then proceeds to a continuation terminal (“terminal A”),and from terminal A (FIG. 5B) to block 518, where the authenticationcontrol engine 208 extracts an encrypted profile identifier from thedevice database row. Because the encrypted profile identifier is storedin the device data store 222 instead of being accessible to the mobilecomputing device 112, an extra layer of security is provided byisolating the profile information from the mobile computing device 112.That is, there is no way for the mobile computing device 112 to accessthe profile information without first negotiating access to the devicedata store 222.

At block 520, the authentication control engine 208 decrypts theencrypted profile identifier using the database credentials for thedevice data store 222 to obtain a profile identifier. In someembodiments, the private key of the database credentials for the devicedata store 222 may be used to decrypt the encrypted profile identifier.Next, at block 522, the authentication control engine 208 encrypts theprofile identifier using database credentials for a profile data store224 to create an encrypted profile database row identifier. In someembodiments, the database credentials for the profile data store 224include a public/private key pair, and the profile identifier isencrypted using the public key of profile data store 224. One ofordinary skill in the art will notice that the profile identifier isobtained using the database credentials for the device data store 222,and then encrypted for use with the profile data store 224 using thedatabase credentials for the profile data store 224. The only party withaccess to both database credentials is the authentication control engine208. Hence, the device data store 222 is isolated from the profile datastore 224, and so obtaining data from one will not provide anymeaningful access to the other because the database credentials willneed to be obtained as well.

At block 524, the authentication control engine 208 retrieves anencrypted profile database row from the profile data store 224 using theencrypted profile database row identifier. Similar to the abovediscussion, the profile data store 224 may use the encrypted profiledatabase row identifier itself to identify the profile database row tobe returned, or may decrypt the encrypted profile database row using itsprivate key in order to use the profile database row identifier toidentify the profile database row to be returned.

At block 526, the authentication control engine 208 decrypts theencrypted profile database row using the database credentials for theprofile data store 224 to obtain a profile database row. In someembodiments, the encrypted profile database row is decrypted using theprivate key of the database credentials for the profile data store 224.The method 500 then proceeds to block 528, where the authenticationcontrol engine uses the profile database row to verify that the user 110is registered and currently authorized.

As above, in some embodiments the mere existence of the row could showauthorization. In some embodiments, the profile database row may includeauthorization times, an expiration period, an authorization flag, accesscontrol lists for particular resources, and/or the like, to be used toverify that the user is registered and currently authorized.

Once the method 500 completes block 528, it has been determined that thedevice 112 is authorized by the system and that the user 110 associatedwith the device is authorized to access the requested resource. Whatremains is for the method 500 to verify the identity of the user 110 asactually being the person currently interacting with the system andpossessing the device 112. Accordingly, the method 500 proceeds to block530, where the authentication control engine 208 extracts a set ofencrypted biometric database row identifiers from the profile databaserow. In some embodiments, more than one type of biometric informationmay be used to verify the identity of the user 110, and each type ofbiometric information may be housed in a different biometric data store226 having its own database credentials.

From block 530, the method 500 proceeds to a continuation terminal(“terminal B”), and from terminal B (FIG. 5C) to a for loop 532-544defined between a for loop start block 532 and a for loop end block 544.Within the for loop 532-544, actions are performed to process each ofthe encrypted biometric database row identifiers in the set of encryptedbiometric database row identifiers from the profile database row.

From the for loop start block 532, the method 500 proceeds to block 534,where the authentication control engine 208 decrypts the encryptedbiometric database row identifier using the database credentials for theprofile data store 224 to obtain a biometric database row identifier. Insome embodiments, the encrypted biometric database row identifier isdecrypted using the private key of the database credentials for theprofile data store 224. At block 536, the authentication control engine208 encrypts the biometric database row identifier using databasecredentials for a biometric data store 226 to create a newly encryptedbiometric database row identifier. In some embodiments, the databasecredentials for the biometric data store 226 include a public/privatekey pair, and the biometric database row identifier is encrypted usingthe public key. In some embodiments, the profile database row may alsoinclude an indication of which biometric data store 226 the biometricdatabase row identifier refers to, which may be used to find the correctbiometric data store 226 and to find the associated databasecredentials.

At block 538, the authentication control engine 208 retrieves anencrypted biometric database row from the biometric data store 226 usingthe newly encrypted biometric database row identifier. As above, thebiometric data store 226 may use the newly encrypted biometric databaserow identifier itself to identify the row, or may decrypt the newlyencrypted biometric database row identifier using its private key toobtain the biometric database row identifier. At block 540, theauthentication control engine 208 decrypts the encrypted biometricdatabase row using the database credentials for the biometric data store226 (for example, using the private key of the database credentials forthe biometric data store 226) to obtain biometric data. As with theseparation between the device data store 222 and the profile data store224, accessing the biometric data in the biometric database row requireshaving both the database credentials for the profile data store 224 (toretrieve the biometric database row identifier) and for the biometricdata store 226 (to re-encrypt the biometric database row identifier andto decrypt the encrypted biometric database row), and the only entitywith access to both sets of database credentials is the authenticationcontrol engine 208. Thus, a security compromise in either of the datastores does not expose the other, thereby improving overall security.

The biometric data stored in the biometric data store 226 may be facialimage data as described above, or any other suitable type of biometricinformation, such as fingerprint data, iris scan data, a password, apalm vein pattern, a DNA sequence, a retinal pattern, a voice print,and/or the like. At block 542, the authentication control engine 208verifies that the biometric data matches the user 110. In someembodiments, the authentication control engine 208 may cause a requestfor biometric input to be presented, either by the mobile device 301, byanother specialized device configured to obtain the biometric input, orboth. In some embodiments, the authentication control engine 208 mayautomatically obtain the biometric input from a camera 214 without userinteraction, as discussed above.

Assuming the authentication control engine 208 determined that thebiometric input matched the biometric data, the method 500 then proceedsto the for loop end block 544. If further encrypted biometric databaserow identifiers remain to be processed from the set of encryptedbiometric database row identifiers, then the method 500 returns to thefor loop start block 532 to process the next encrypted biometricdatabase row identifier. Otherwise, if the entire set of encryptedbiometric database row identifiers has been processed without anyerrors, then the method 500 proceeds to block 546, where theauthentication control engine 208 provides access to the requestedcomputing resource. The method 500 then proceeds to an end block andterminates.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram that illustrates aspects of an exemplarycomputing device 600 appropriate for use as a computing device of thepresent disclosure. While multiple different types of computing deviceswere discussed above, the exemplary computing device 600 describesvarious elements that are common to many different types of computingdevices. While FIG. 6 is described with reference to a computing devicethat is implemented as a device on a network, the description below isapplicable to servers, personal computers, mobile phones, smart phones,tablet computers, embedded computing devices, and other devices that maybe used to implement portions of embodiments of the present disclosure.Moreover, those of ordinary skill in the art and others will recognizethat the computing device 600 may be any one of any number of currentlyavailable or yet to be developed devices.

In its most basic configuration, the computing device 600 includes atleast one processor 602 and a system memory 604 connected by acommunication bus 606. Depending on the exact configuration and type ofdevice, the system memory 604 may be volatile or nonvolatile memory,such as read only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), EEPROM,flash memory, or similar memory technology. Those of ordinary skill inthe art and others will recognize that system memory 604 typicallystores data and/or program modules that are immediately accessible toand/or currently being operated on by the processor 602. In this regard,the processor 602 may serve as a computational center of the computingdevice 600 by supporting the execution of instructions.

As further illustrated in FIG. 6, the computing device 600 may include anetwork interface 610 comprising one or more components forcommunicating with other devices over a network. Embodiments of thepresent disclosure may access basic services that utilize the networkinterface 610 to perform communications using common network protocols.The network interface 610 may also include a wireless network interfaceconfigured to communicate via one or more wireless communicationprotocols, such as WiFi, 2G, 3G, LTE, WiMAX, Bluetooth, and/or the like.

In the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, the computing device 600also includes a storage medium 608. However, services may be accessedusing a computing device that does not include means for persisting datato a local storage medium. Therefore, the storage medium 608 depicted inFIG. 6 is represented with a dashed line to indicate that the storagemedium 608 is optional. In any event, the storage medium 608 may bevolatile or nonvolatile, removable or nonremovable, implemented usingany technology capable of storing information such as, but not limitedto, a hard drive, solid state drive, CD ROM, DVD, or other disk storage,magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, and/or thelike.

As used herein, the term “computer-readable medium” includes volatileand non-volatile and removable and non-removable media implemented inany method or technology capable of storing information, such ascomputer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, orother data. In this regard, the system memory 604 and storage medium 608depicted in FIG. 6 are merely examples of computer-readable media.

Suitable implementations of computing devices that include a processor602, system memory 604, communication bus 606, storage medium 608, andnetwork interface 610 are known and commercially available. For ease ofillustration and because it is not important for an understanding of theclaimed subject matter, FIG. 6 does not show some of the typicalcomponents of many computing devices. In this regard, the computingdevice 600 may include input devices, such as a keyboard, keypad, mouse,microphone, touch input device, touch screen, tablet, and/or the like.Such input devices may be coupled to the computing device 600 by wiredor wireless connections including RF, infrared, serial, parallel,Bluetooth, USB, or other suitable connections protocols using wirelessor physical connections. Similarly, the computing device 600 may alsoinclude output devices such as a display, speakers, printer, etc. Sincethese devices are well known in the art, they are not illustrated ordescribed further herein.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the specific routinesdescribed above in the flowcharts may represent one or more of anynumber of processing strategies such as event-driven, interrupt-driven,multi-tasking, multi-threading, and the like. As such, various acts orfunctions illustrated may be performed in the sequence illustrated, inparallel, or in some cases omitted. Likewise, the order of processing isnot necessarily required to achieve the features and advantages, but isprovided for ease of illustration and description. Although notexplicitly illustrated, one or more of the illustrated acts or functionsmay be repeatedly performed depending on the particular strategy beingused.

While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, itwill be appreciated that various changes can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. An identity validation system for positively confirming an identityand a physical location of an individual for securing access to one ormore secured resources, the system comprising: one or more locationsensors for detecting locations of mobile devices within a physicallocation proximate to an access location for the one or more securedresources; one or more biometric information sensors for gatheringbiometric information from individuals within the physical locationproximate to the access location; a biometric data store configured tostore one or more biometric information data records; and at least onesecurity management computing device configured to: receive anotification from the one or more location sensors indicating that amobile device is detected within the physical location and isapproaching the access location; in response to determining that themobile device is enrolled with the identity validation system, retrievea biometric information data record from the biometric data storeassociated with a user associated with the mobile device; compare thebiometric information data record to biometric information gathered bythe one or more biometric information sensors; and provide access to theone or more secured resources in response to determining that thebiometric information data record matches biometric information gatheredby the one or more biometric information sensors.
 2. The system of claim1, wherein the one or more secured resources include a secured physicallocation, wherein the system further comprises a physical access controldevice configured to selectively allow access to the secured physicallocation, wherein providing access to the one or more secured resourcesincludes allowing passage through the physical access control device. 3.The system of claim 2, wherein the physical access control device is adoor with an electronically controlled lock, a man trap, or a turnstile.4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises asecurity interface computing device, and wherein providing access to theone or more secured resources includes presenting an indication to asecurity guard via the security interface computing device that the useris permitted access to the one or more secured resources.
 5. The systemof claim 4, wherein the security interface computing device presents anaugmented reality view of at least a portion of the physical locationproximate to the access location, and wherein the indication ispresented in association with the user in the augmented reality view. 6.The system of claim 5, wherein indications of a lack of permission arepresented in association with non-authenticated individuals in theaugmented reality view.
 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising oneor more network access computing devices located within the accesslocation, wherein the security management computing device is furtherconfigured to allow access to a network via the one or more networkaccess computing devices while the user is determined to be within theaccess location.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the securitymanagement computing device is further configured to monitor a locationof the mobile device while within the access location, and to disablethe one or more network access computing devices in response todetermining that the user or the mobile device has left the accesslocation.
 9. The system of claim 7, further comprising: a device uniqueidentifier (UID) data store configured to store information organizedaccording to an encrypted hash of a device identifier; and a profiledata store configured to store non-biometric user data organizedaccording to an encrypted hash of a profile identifier stored in thedevice UID data store; wherein the biometric data store is configured tostore biometric user data organized according to an encrypted hash of abiometric identifier stored in the profile data store.
 10. The system ofclaim 9, wherein the device UID data store, the profile data store, andthe biometric data store are each physically separate from each other.11. The system of claim 9, wherein allowing access to the networkincludes: using the device UID data store to confirm that the device isallowed access to the system; using the profile data store and a profileidentifier retrieved from the device UID data store to confirm that theuser is allowed access to a requested network resource; and using thebiometric data store and a biometric row identifier retrieved from theprofile data store to confirm the user's identity.
 12. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more secured resources include a securedphysical location, a secured network, a secured database, and a secureddigital financial transaction.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein theone or more location sensors include one or more devices for monitoringand tracking a Wi-Fi signal, a Bluetooth signal, an Active RadioFrequency Identification (RFID) signal, a UHF-RFID signal, a passiveRFID signal, a GPS signal, and a near-field communication signal.
 14. Amethod of positively confirming an identity and a physical location ofan individual for securing access to one or more secured resources, themethod comprising: receiving, by a security management computing device,a notification from one or more location sensors, wherein the one ormore location sensors are configured to detect locations of mobiledevices within a physical location proximate to an access location forthe one or more secured resources, and wherein the notificationindicates that a mobile device is detected within the physical locationand is approaching the access location; in response to determining thatthe mobile device is enrolled with a security system, retrieving, by thesecurity management computing device, a biometric information datarecord from a biometric data store, wherein the biometric informationdata record is associated with a user associated with the mobile device;comparing, by the security management computing device, the biometricinformation data record to biometric information gathered by one or morebiometric information sensors configured to gather biometric informationfrom individuals within the physical location proximate to the accesslocation; and providing, by the security management computing device,access to the one or more secured resources in response to determiningthat the biometric information data record matches biometric informationgathered by the one or more biometric information sensors.
 15. Themethod of claim 14, wherein the one or more secured resources include asecured physical location, and wherein providing access to the one ormore secured resources includes allowing passage through a physicalaccess control device configured to selectively allow access to thesecured physical location.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein providingaccess to the one or more secured resources includes presenting anindication to a security guard via a security interface computing devicethat the user is permitted access to the one or more secured resources.17. The method of claim 14, further comprising allowing access to anetwork via one or more network access computing devices located withinthe access location while the user is determined to be within the accesslocation.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: monitoring alocation of the mobile device while within the access location; anddisabling the one or more network access computing devices in responseto determining that the user or the mobile device has left the accesslocation.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein allowing access to thenetwork includes: using a device unique identifier (UID) data store toconfirm that the device is allowed access to the system, wherein thedevice UID data store is configured to store information organizedaccording to an encrypted hash of a device identifier; using a profiledata store and a profile identifier retrieved from the device UID datastore to confirm that the user is allowed access to a requested networkresource, wherein the profile data store is configured to storenon-biometric user data organized according to an encrypted hash of theprofile identifier stored in the device UID data store; and using thebiometric data store and a biometric row identifier retrieved from theprofile data store to confirm the user's identity, wherein the biometricdata store is configured to store biometric user data organizedaccording to an encrypted hash of the biometric row identifier stored inthe profile data store.
 20. The method of claim 14, wherein the one ormore secured resources include a secured physical location, a securednetwork, a secured database, and a secured digital financialtransaction.